Social-Emotional Development: Family Resources

Support your child’s development.

Social-emotional skills play an important role in the lives of parents, caregivers, and children. If you are interested in learning about social-emotional development, activities, tools, and more, check out our list of resources below.

Social-Emotional Development

• • Developing Social-Emotional Skills, ZERO TO THREE
• • Building Social and Emotional Skills at Home, NAEYC
• • List of Developmental Milestones, CDC
• • Milestone Tracker App, CDC
• • Helping Kids Express Their Emotions, PBS Kids for Parents
• • Emotions & Self-Awareness, PBS Kids for Parents
• • Social Skills, PBS Kids for Parents
• • How to Help Your Child Develop Empathy, ZERO TO THREE
• • How Children Really Learn Empathy, Janet Lansbury
• • Being The Person Our Children Confide In, Janet Lansbury
• • No Angry Kids – Fostering Emotional Literacy In Our Children, Janet Lansbury
• • Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood Episodes, Fred Rogers Productions
• • How Technology Affects Kids’ Social Emotional Learning, Common Sense Media

Self-Esteem and Confidence

• • Developing Self-Esteem in the Early Years, ZERO TO THREE
• • Empowering a Passive or “Shy” Child, Janet Lansbury
• • Nurturing Your Child’s Independence, PBS Kids for Parents
• • Most Effective Ways to Help Kids Who Are Too Hard on Themselves, PBS Kids for Parents
• • 12 Tips for Raising Confident Kids, Child Mind Institute
• • Your Child’s Self-Esteem, KidsHealth

Challenging Emotions and Behaviors

• • Guidance and Challenging Behaviors, NAEYC
• • Understanding and Responding to Children Who Bite, NAEYC
• • Responding to Your Child’s Bite, CSEFEL
• • Tantrums, Defiance, Aggression – Oh My!, ZERO TO THREE
• • I Said I Want the Red Bowl! Responding to Toddlers’ Irrational Behavior, ZERO TO THREE
• • Helping Young Children Channel Their Aggression, ZERO TO THREE
• • Managing Emotions as Parents, PBS Kids for Parents
• • How to Be a Less Anxious Parent and Enjoy Your Child, Janet Lansbury
• • 5 Ways to Help Kids Build Resilience, PBS Kids for Parents

Family Guides and Tip Sheets

• • Mindfulness for Children Guide, New York Times
• • How to Get Help for Your Child (English & Spanish), CDC
• • How to Help Your Child Understand and Label Emotions, TACSEI
• • How to Help Your Child Recognize & Understand Sadness, TACSEI
• • How to Help Your Child Recognize & Understand Anger, TACSEI
• • Teaching Your Child About Feelings from Birth to Age 2, CSEFEL
• • Mindfulness Toolkit, Transforming Education
• • Trauma-Informed SEL Toolkit, Transforming Education
• • A Parent’s Resource Guide to Social and Emotional Learning, Edutopia
• • Social And Emotional Learning Activities For Families And Educators
• • Let’s Talk About Feelings, Child Care Aware of America

Activities for Children

• • Using Emojis With Kids to Express Feelings, PBS Kids for Parents
• • 10+ Social Emotional Activities for Home, Pathway 2 Success
• • 5 Art Activities For Social Emotional Learning, Better Kids
• • Art Activities for Social Emotional Learning, Pathway 2 Success
• • 50 Activities that Support Social-Emotional Learning, The Art of Education University
• • 5 Easy Social Emotional Learning Activities For Kids To Do At Home, Better Kids
• • Mindful Art Activities for Kids, Empowering Education
• • Online Coloring Games, PBS Kids
• • Online Teamwork Games, PBS Kids
• • Online Music Games, PBS Kids
• • Meditation Apps for Kids, Common Sense Media
• • 17 Apps to Help Kids Stay Focused, Common Sense Media
• • Best for Character Development, Common Sense Media
• • MotherCould Instagram Account

Self Care

• • 11 Simple Self-Care Habits for Kids, PBS Kids for Parents
• • A Guide to Self-Care for Parents: Why Making Time For Yourself Matters, Waterford
• • Importance of Self-Care: Why Parents Need Time Out to Recharge, HealthyChildren
• • 25 Simple Self-Care Tools for Parents, Psychology Today
• • Self-Care for Parents, PBS Kids

Support Services

• • Jeremiah’s Place
    Jeremiah’s Place provides a safe haven of respite, health, renewal, and support for children and families during times of crisis. Services are provided for free and are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
• • Family Resources of Pennsylvania Parenting Warmline
    This is a free, confidential hotline for parents and caregivers with non-medical parenting concerns and questions. Their main number is 412.641.4546, or you can email help@familyresources.org to access support. If you live in Allegheny County, call 1.877.927.6596. If you live outside of Allegheny County, call 1.800.641.4546.
• • PA 2.1.1 Southwest (Call 2.1.1 or text your zip code to 898.211.)
    PA 2.1.1. Southwest provides access to an extensive list of resources for families in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Specialists can provide referrals to human needs resources, physical and mental health resources, child care programs, and more.
• • Pennsylvania Family Support Programs
• • Family Centers in Allegheny County
• • SAMHSA National Helpline (1.800.662.4357)
    This is a free, confidential information service for individuals and family members facing mental and/or substance use disorders. This service provides referrals to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community-based organizations.
• • Toll-Free 24-Hour Emotional Support Helpline (866.342.6892), Optum
• • National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1.800.273.8255)
• • NAMI National HelpLine Warmline Directory, NAMI
• • SEL and Mental Health Resources for COVID-19, SEL4US
• • Single Mom Defined Facebook Group

Developmental Concerns

• • Free “Learn the Signs. Act Early.” Materials, CDC
• • Concerned About Your Child’s Development?, CDC
• • “Concerned About Your Child’s Development?” in ASL, CDC
• • Developmental Milestones, CDC
• • Developmental Quizzes, TEIS Early Intervention
• • Early Learning GPS, Pennsylvania’s Promise for Children

Early Intervention

• • What is “Early Intervention”?, CDC
• • Early Intervention, Pennsylvania Department of Education
• • Early Intervention, Peal Center
• • Early Intervention Parent Information, The Early Learning Institute (TELI)
• • CONNECT Helpline:
    The CONNECT Helpline assists families in locating resources and providing information regarding child development for children ages birth to age five. Call 1.800.692.7288, email help@connectpa.net, or submit this online form.
• • The Alliance for Infants and Toddlers
    If you live in Allegheny County, call 412.885.6000. If you live outside of Allegheny County, call 1.800.692.7299.
• • TEIS Early Intervention
    Call 412.271.8347, text INFO to 412.543.8398, or email info@teisinc.com.
• • Achieva Early Intervention
• • Early Intervention Specialists
• • Early Intervention Program, Pittsburgh Public Schools

COVID-19

• • How to Support Children (and Yourself) During the COVID-19 Outbreak, Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University
• • Virus Anxiety Resources